Laura Wiechert's Semester in Germany

I always thought studying abroad would be the trip I could tell my family about later in life… boy was I wrong, it was the trip of a lifetime. Starting off with those feelings of doubt and fear was only the beginning. With my two large suit cases checked and my boarding pass in my hand, I tearfully said bye to my family and boarded that plane. For the next six months, life was an adventure and would never be the same.

As a German major, my destination was Heidelberg, Germany, home to the oldest University in Western Europe. The Universität Heidelberg, with the American Junior Year Abroad program, offered me a semester of challenges, but also one of great learning. Not only did I experience 13 hours of instruction and classes in German, I was able to intern with a local elementary school. Working with a class of 30 hyperactive American kids is one thing, but working with that many German 2^nd graders who speak faster than I could comprehend brought a new meaning to patience. From singing “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” to talking about ice cream flavors, I relived my childhood to teach the children English. The classes I took at the university ranged from a phonetics and intonation class to a class all about movies.

This study abroad opportunity also offered me a chance to make life-long friends. 15 of us in the same situation created bonds of support and friendship that have carried on past our time in Germany. Whether its quick text messages or long phone calls at 2 am, I still reminisce about the past and daydream about the future with these amazing people.

My overall favorite part of my study abroad opportunity was my chance to travel and sightsee most of Europe! With my new friends, a few family members and a good high school friend, I had the opportunity to see 13 different European countries. Searching the internet for every train or plane ticket deal I could find, I used my passport to max. I saw sights from Prague to Rome to Dublin and everywhere in-between. What I loved the most about going to all these places was seeing and discovering new cultures, people and places.

The photos to the right and below were taken in Prague.

My opportunity to travel Europe and study in Germany has truly given me an eye-opening experience that has changed my perspective on life. The world has become smaller in terms of technology, but it is a thrill to see and discover places that could easily be read about on the internet. I met new people, saw new things and discovered a ton about myself personally in the process. Looking back to that day I was afraid to board the airplane, I have to laugh. Here I thought I would be missing out on my life by leaving, but I was really enhancing it and learning more than a semester in Edwardsville would have allowed.

For more information on the "American Junior Year" program at Heidelberg University see http://www.heidelberg.edu/ajy/.